Current distributing apparatus



Aug. 11, 1931. I c, RANDALL 1,818,160

CURRENT DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Filed larch 3. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A ll l l 7 INVENTOR Karl (Z Randall Aug. 11, 1931. c, RANDALL 1,818,160

CURRENT DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Filed larch 3', 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Karl C. Rank/l BY I AfioRNEY Patented Aug. 11, 1931 ram. 0. mm, or memoonprmmvmm. Assmuon 'ro amazon:

W310 & IANUFAUIUBING A CORPORATION 01 rmmvntn' ms'rmu'rnre APPARATUS I Application fled 1mm 3,

My invention relates to current distributing apparatus and particularl to switching ap aratus of the metal cla type' 0 ject of my invention is toprovide a current distributing apparatus wherein the circuit breaker is mounted upon a truck and is provided with exteriorly extendin disconnecting switch contacts thatvare a apted to engage stationary disconnecting switch contacts that are connected to insu ated bus bars or cables.

A further object of my invention is to provide a current distributing system where a lurality of circuit breakers of the type re erred to are disposed in separate cells and wherein the stationary disconnecting switch contacts. connected to the buses or cables are disposed in the same horizontal plane, and in such manner that the feed buses and the distributing buses occupy the same horizontal plane, thus enabling the use of circuit breaker disconnecting switch contacts of uniform size and construction.

A further object of my invention is to provide a current distributing apparatus wherein the disconnecting switch contacts connected to the bus. bars are suspended from an overhead structure and wherein the feed cables may be made in sections and joined by the disconnecting switch contact device and supported thereby.' I

A further object of my invention is to provide a circuit distributin apparatus wherein standard lengths 0% insulatin buses or cables may be provided and whic may' readily be assembled in the field to connect a pluralit of separate circuit breaker units with a eed circuit and with a plurality of distributing circuits.

A further object of myinvention is to provide current distributingapparatus having the above noted characterlstics'wherein the circuit breaker apparatus is enclosed within a metal casing that is grounded and wherein the buses are covered with insulation andenclosed within an external metallic covering that is rounded or connected to the rounded circult breaker casing, thereby ena ling the placing of the buses in relatively close relation and thereby reducing 102;. serial No. i

the space required forbus bars and circuit breaker terminals.

A further object of my invention is to provide a metal enclosed current distributing apparatus, wherein the metal casing surrounding the buses is divided into sections that are insulated from one another for eliminating closed circuits for' eddy currents.

A further object of my invention is to provide a branchline disconnecting switch contact connection that serves to permanently join two *bus sections and at the same time provide a branch line connection for supporting a disconnecting switch contact.

A further object of my invention is to rovide a disconnecting switch contact that 18 provided with means for preventing corona in the vicinity of the disconnecting switch contacts and .thereby reducing the space required between the disconnecting switch contacts.

These and other objects that will be made apparent throughout the further description of my invention are attained by means of the current distributing apparatus hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein: Y t

Figure 1 is a to plan view of a circuit breaker cell showing the bus bar system and the cell structure.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the circuit breaker cell shown in Fig. 1,. showing the bus bar system and the circuit breaker in side elevation, and a Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a fragment of a bus bar connection and a disconthe circuit breaker disconnecting switch devices 15, that are be hereinafter more specifically described are arran tend longitudinall of the supporting structure 5 as indicate in Figures 1 and 2. The cables 16 are made in sections, the length of which is determined by the center to center distance between adjoin cells and as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, e sections beingl joined by means of connection devices 17 t at support the disconnecting switch contact devices 15. I

The circuit breakers 12 may be of the usual construction having, in the case of a three-phase circuit breaker two parallel rows of disconnecting switch members 14. In order that the disconnecting switch devices 15 may be mounted in the same lfiirizontal plane, the disconnectin switch devices connected with the distri uting buses 18 are offset with respect to the disconnecting switch devices connected to the buses 16, as indicated in Fig. 1.

In order that the disconnecting switch members 14 register with the disconnecting switch .devices 15 the circuit breaker 12 is mounted diagonally on the truck 11. By reason of this arrangement of the disconnecting switch devices 15, the upper bent ends of the'distributing buses 18 extend in the same plane as the buses 16, thus conserving over-head s ace, and since all of the disconnecting switc devices 15 are inthe same plane, the disconnecting switch membars 14 are of equal length and will simultaneously engage the devices 15 when the circuit breaker is elevated to its operative position shownin Fig. 2.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3 wherein a bus connection 17 and disconnectin switch contact device is shown, each feed us section 16 comprises a co per tube 19 that is surrounded with ins sting material 21, such as 'is usually provided about conducting cables, the insulating material being covered by a metallic sheath 22 that may be of an preferred construction.

The adjacent ends of the bus bar sections are joined by means of a copper pipe-T 23 in which the ends of the tubes 19 are inserted and joined thereto by soldering or welding. A branch terminal tube 24 1s alsoinserted in the branch connection 25 of the pigi-T 23 and is soldered or welded thereto. A r the ends of the bus sections are thus joined and the branch terminal tube 24 is axembled, the joint thus made is menently sealed by castin a solder b about the pipes Thus a good permanent conducting joint is ded from the in a horizontal plane and ex-' extending over ock 26. as in icated in Fig. 3..

established between sections of the bus and the branch connections and sharp corners are eliminated from the connection. The joint is then insulated by either wrap ng ta about it or by mo dug 'thereabout, a lock of insulating material having a predetermined external shape, as indicated m Fig. 3, the insulatin the tapered ins sting material 21 surrounding the tubes 19, thus entirely covering the exposed ends of the tubes.

A divided metallic covering 27 a surrounds the insulating material 27 and is oined to the metallic. coverin 22 of the bus section 16, as indicated in ig. 3. The casing 27a is rovided with clam s 28, by means of WhlCh, the connection 1 may be secured to and suspended from the beam 7 of the supporting) structure.

The ranch terminal tube 24 is surrounded by an insulating tube or bushing 31 and is provided at its outer end with a contact member 32 that is adapted to be engaged by by yielding contact jaws 33,mounte on a contact terminal 34 that "s connected to a contact of the circuit brea er 12 and which is supported in an. insulating bushing 35 secured to the casin of circuit breaker 12.

It has been fimnd that disconnecting switch terminals aving relatively high potentials, to are across from one contact member to that of neighborin 1 contact members due to the expansion o the corona and consequent failure of the air insulation where the contact terminals are exposed to the atmosphere. In order to prevent or reduce the corona to a minimum, the contact members are surrounded by metal bells 36 and 37 that are mounted, respectively, on the contact member 32 and the terminal 34. Since material imposed thereon, have a tendencyv no sharp corners are presented exteriorly of the bells, corona is prevented or its formation is minimized.

The circuit breaker casing 12 is provided with a 'metal tube 39 that surrounds the terminal 34 and this tube telescopes over a tube 41 that is connected to the casing 27, as indicated in Fig. 3. An annular apron 42 covers the upper end of the cylinder 39 and prevents moisture condensing on the exterior of the cylinder 41 from flowing into the cylinder 39.

In order to insulate the bell 36 from the metal telescoping cylinders 39 and 41, an insulating tube 43 is secured to the casing of the circuit breaker 12, and surrounds the bells and contact members, and telescopes into an insulating tube 44, that is secured to the insulating bushing 31. By reason of this arrangement, the contacts are adequately insulated from the metal rotecting cover and the construction is suc that the contacts are shielded from external objects nuance whentheyarese Inordertoprevent heat of e metal bus covering and i the circuit realrer casing, due eddy currents, the metal bus covering is interrupted at points 45 between connections, in such manner that no closed circuits for eddy currents are eliminated. While I have illustrated but two enrbodiments of m invention, it will be apm parent'to those s ed in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, additions and omissions may be made 'in' the 1 apparatus illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention "u as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: r 1. In a pol base current' distributing system, a plu ty of stationary k ing switch contact members mounted in two so parallel rows and ha bus connections all disposed in the same e,.thesa id"cont'iagtflmlembers being apted to ry arranged co-o t1 con members of a circuit breafi i as disposed in the plane of the and connected to the connections of one of lczlntact members and!mg vingaportionexten in sar e and connected to the connectors of the. other 80 row of contact members. I 2. A current rising' an over-head supporting structure vparallel horizontal'fbeams, each suppqnrti'ng' a row of disconnecting,

. switch. contact members having bus connec- 50 same plane ruary, 1928.

tions all in the same plane, and straight parallel buses in the lane of the connections and angularly wi I to the line of connections in each row w ereby. so the buses connected to connections of contact members of one row may extend past conmotions of another set of buses without interference. 1

8. In a pol hase current-distributing as system, a plura 'ty of stationary disconnecting-switch contact members arranged in pairs and mounted in two parallel rows, the' contacts of each pair be' in different rows and having connections disposed in the straight parallelbuses one for each connection of each row of contact members, di in the plane of the said connections and at an angle to a line connecting a pair of contact members, 68 whereby one set of buses may extend past the connections of another set of buses without. interference. D In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 27th day of Feb- KARL c. 

